find his fortune, and
secretly resolved to leave the service of Ahavzi. But, as he had
discovered on his first journey how poorly one lives without money, he
resolved to help himself to the wages which his mistress had often
promised but never given him. There was one room in Ahavzi's house that
was always kept locked, and whose interior Muck had never seen. But he
had often heard the old woman bustling about in there, and as often he
would have given his life to know what she had hidden there. When he
came to think about the money for his journey, it occurred to him that
the treasures of Ahavzi might be concealed in that room. But the door
was always locked, and therefore he was unable to get at the treasures.

One morning, when the old woman had gone out, one of the dogs--to whom
Ahavzi accorded little more than a step-mother's care, but whose favor
Muck had acquired by a series of kindly services--seized Muck by his
baggy trousers, and acted as if he wished the dwarf to follow him.
Muck, always ready for a game with the dog, followed him, and behold,
he was escorted to the bed-room of Ahavzi, and up to a small door that
he had never noticed before. The door was soon opened, and the dog
went in followed by Muck, who was greatly rejoiced to find that he was
in the very room that he had so long sought to enter. He searched
every-where for money, but found none. Only old clothes and strangely
shaped dishes were to be seen. One of these dishes attracted his
attention. It was crystal and in it were cut beautiful figures. He
picked it up and turned it about to examine all its sides. But,
horrors! he had not noticed that it had a lid which was insecurely
fastened. The cover fell off, and was broken into a thousand pieces!

For a long time Little Muck stood there, motionless from terror. Now
was his fate decided. Now he must flee, or the old woman would surely
strike him dead. His journey was decided on at once; and as he took one
more look around to see if there were nothing among the effects of
Ahavzi that he could make use of on his march, his eye was caught by a
pair of large slippers. They were certainly not beautiful; but those he
had on would not stand another journey, and he was also attracted by
this pair on account of their size, for when he once had these on his
feet, everybody, he hoped, would see that he had "put away childish
things." He therefore quickly kicked off his own shoes and stepped into
the large sli